Experience an immersive living history event at Fort Ticonderoga highlighting the return of French soldiers to Carillon (now called Fort Ticonderoga). On Saturday May 9 through Sunday May 10, visitors will step into New France in 1756 as French soldiers return by boats from posts down Lake Champlain. This event will kick off the 2015 season at Fort Ticonderoga and capture the site’s epic story on land and water. Event tickets are included with daily admission. Two-day admission ticket discounts apply. Members of Fort Ticonderoga, Ticonderoga Ambassador Pass holders, and children age 4 and under are free. For more information, call 518-585-2821 or visit fortticonderoga.org

“‘Before Long We Would Have Reinforcements’ Living History Event will trace the footsteps of French soldiers as they struggle to guard the unfinished earth, stone, and log walls of Fort Carillon in the midst of construction,” said Stuart Lilie, Senior Director of Interpretation at Fort Ticonderoga. “This event is designed to be a rich experience for both participants and visitors alike. It will investigate the situation and factors that brought a French army across an ocean and up the lakes and rivers through the wilderness of Canada. Visitors will see the French army pull their oars through the waves of Lake Champlain to join their comrades at Carillon anxiously awaiting the return of reinforcements.”

Saturday morning, with a small flotilla of bateaux, Fort Ticonderoga interpretative staff and re-enactors will row and sail their way up Lake Champlain to arrive by 2:00 pm at Fort Ticonderoga. This is a recreation of the final stride of French soldiers travelling to Carillon, just as it happened on May 9, 1756.

Every day is an event at Fort Ticonderoga and every year is a new experience. It is the only site in the world that tells a new story each year through dynamic historical interpretation. This year is 1756 at Fort Ticonderoga; a fundamental year in the construction of the Fort and the jardin du Roi (King’s Garden). Guests will discover 1756 from the French perspective and explore how it took an empire to sustain and fight for a continent. Daily programming will bring to life this epic story through tours, soldier’s life programs, historic trades, soldier’s gardening, hands-on family programs, museum exhibitions, and daily boat tours aboard Fort Ticonderoga’s new 60 ft. cruise boat, the Carillon.

Fort Ticonderoga launches its final “Fort Fever Series” of 2015 with a special presentation by Assistant Director of Interpretation, Cameron Green, who will provide a sneak peek into all of the new ground being broken in the King’s Garden for the 2015 season, as well as some of the great structures and stories recently uncovered. The program takes place on Sunday, April 19 at 2 pm in the Deborah Clarke Mars Education Center at Fort Ticonderoga. The cost for the program is $10 per person and will be collected at the door; free for Members of Fort Ticonderoga.

Cameron Green, Assistant Director of Interpretation, has been a member of Fort Ticonderoga staff since 2011. He has incorporated his wealth of expertise in 18th-century studies into modern horticulture, providing a dynamic perspective to the King’s Garden. “This program explores the Pell family’s purchase of Fort Ticonderoga in the early 19th century, and outlines the growth and development of the landscape over the next 200 years” says Green. “We will walk the grounds to discover the continuing story of Ticonderoga, after the guns had ceased firing. ‘A Layered Legacy’ will outline the flowering of agriculture, tourism, and hospitality as told through the King’s Garden.”

This program will reveal the important story of Fort Ticonderoga’s landscape and define how the campus will grow and develop for generations to come. One day prior to “A Layered Legacy” is the Fourth Annual Garden and Landscape Symposium, which focuses on practical, easy-to-implement strategies for expanding and improving your garden or landscape. To learn more, call 518-585-2821 or visit fortticonderoga.org/visit/calendar-events.

Fort Ticonderoga is pleased to announce the return of the immersive overnight program for Scouts during the spring and fall of 2015. Scouts can book their adventure for Saturday nights May 16th through June 6th and August 29th through October 24th. This offer is available for Boy Scout troops and Girl Scout Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors.

Scouts arrive in mid-afternoon and are immediately thrust into the life of a soldier at Ticonderoga in 1775. They’ll participate in the “Planting the Tree of Liberty” program and then have the opportunity to explore Fort Ticonderoga and embark on adventures specifically suited to their interests.

Scouts can rent a canoe to discover the historic La Chute waterway, hike Carillon Battlefield Trail, and witness a birds-eye view of America’s Fort from Mount Defiance. New to this adventure is a chance to explore Lake Champlain on the Carillon boat tour. Scout Programs scheduled in the fall will also have the opportunity to explore the six-acre corn maze in a new 2015 design created for Fort Ticonderoga.

“Scouts will establish their overnight camp, gather firewood, and learn how to start a fire with flint and steel,” said Stuart Lilie, Senior Director of Interpretation. “They will assist with the preparation of the evening meal while learning about 18th-century cooking. After cleanup, Fort Ticonderoga Interpretative staff will lead scouts on an evening hike over the historic landscape before they settle in for the night. In the morning, scouts again help with starting the fire and fixing breakfast just as soldiers did at the 18th-century fort. Once the site opens for visitors, scouts can explore the fort, museum, and King’s Garden on their own before concluding their adventure.”

Participants have the option of setting up their own tents on the historic grounds or, if numbering 16 or fewer scouts and adults, spending the night in the Soldiers’ Barracks.

A cost of $700 for 16 or fewer scouts and adults or $1000 for up to 30 scouts and adults includes admission and special program fees as well as the evening and morning meals prepared over a camp fire. Additional fees may apply.

For additional information about this and other programs available for scout groups during the 2015 season, click on the “Education” tab, and select “Scouting” in the drop-down menu. To make a reservation, contact Nancy LaVallie, Group Tour Coordinator, at 518-585-2821 or at nancy@fort-ticonderoga.org.

Yes, it’s true. Spring is finally here! The morning routine of layering up, strapping on our boots, and warming up our cars is officially a practice of the past. Although winter is making an attempt to linger here in the Adirondacks, it won’t be long before our quiet woods are greeted with the return of the first migratory songbirds, like the red-winged blackbirds and song sparrows. The ice fishing tents on Lake Champlain will be replaced by boats and jet skis, and Fort Ticonderoga will at last be open for the season! It’s important to keep in mind that although Fort Ticonderoga is open for daily operation May through October, there is no such thing as an “off-season”. There are a remarkable number of opportunities to take advantage of during the winter and spring at this museum campus. Already there have been three Winter Workshops, three Fort Fevers and two Living History Events! Let’s not forget the elegant Ti Ball and student-driven North Country History Day!

Alike to winter, there’s nothing lackluster about spring at Fort Ticonderoga. If some of you just can’t wait until May 9th for the campus to officially open, here is a list of the opportunities you can take advantage of prior to daily operation:

This is a continuation of a series of workshops that began at the start of winter’s arrival. Join Jenna Schnitzer to learn about patterning, materials and construction for 18th-century women’s clothing accessories. Perfect your portrayal with mitts, caps, bonnets, and pockets. Discover interesting details of these garments as well as how to build and wear your own. This is a great opportunity to immerse yourself in the “behind-the-scenes” aspects of the 18th century and learn the fine-tuning of its reproduction in the present.

For more information, get in touch with Fort Ticonderoga’s Senior Director of Interpretation, Stuart Lilie, at SLilie@fort-ticonderoga.org. Advanced registration is required.

This is a true sign of spring. Whether you’re an advanced gardener or just getting started, this program will bring out the “green thumb connoisseur” in everyone. Fort Ticonderoga’s Fourth Annual Garden and Landscape Symposium will have four speakers, all with specific expertise related to gardening in northern climates. Speakers and sessions include:

“A Favorite Place of Resort for Strangers: The King’s Garden at Fort Ticonderoga” by Lucinda Brockway

“Getting Control of Your Perennial Garden” by Amy Ivy

Panel Discussion with all the speakers facilitated by Master Gardener Diane O’Connor

This one-day program focuses on practical, easy-to-implement strategies for expanding and improving your garden or landscape. The programs are offered in an informal setting that encourages interaction between speakers and attendees. I can assure you that you’ll leave the day with the information you need to make a backyard disaster into a beauty show!

After you’ve received a plethora of gardening advice at the Fourth Annual Garden and Landscape Symposium, stick around for another day and discover the continuing story of Ticonderoga. After the guns had ceased firing, see how the flowering of agriculture, tourism, and hospitality emerged, as told through the King’s Garden. Join Assistant Director of Interpretation, Cameron Green, to get a sneak peak of all the new ground being broken for the 2015 season, as well as some of the great structures and stories recently uncovered.

How heavy are the muskets, swords, and bayonets that decided the wars of the 18th century? Have you ever wondered how they were made? Beyond Bullets and Blades is a unique experience; an opportunity to go beyond the exhibition case to examine and handle original 18th-century weapons with the supervision and knowledge of Fort Ticonderoga’s expert staff. The firearms of the 18th century were built by hand, but not the products of quaint blacksmith shops. Industrial methods were used to produce weapons by the thousands to equip soldiers across the globe. Learn how artisans in Europe and America transformed iron, brass, and wood into the weapons that decided empires and revolutions. Feel the bulk and imagine what it was like for the soldiers of the 18th century to carry these very weapons into Battle.

This specialty program is limited to 5 participants but is offered every Wednesday May – August to keep up with the demand! See calendar for specific dates of occurrence.

Join us for this exciting living history event and be part of Fort Ticonderoga’s 2015 opening weekend! Watch by the shoreline as French soldiers return by bateaux from winter quarters at posts down Lake Champlain in the spring of 1756. Meet the Languedoc soldiers, Canadian Troupe de la Marine, and native warriors left behind to guard this advanced post over a harrowing winter. See construction on the French fort of Carillon begin in earnest with French soldiers from the Languedoc regiment and Canadian Troupe de la Marine and milice. See the rush to get work under way with the threat of an English attack looming. Discover more about the plan and building of this famous French fort.

This two-day event is packed full of excitement for all, and marks the official beginning of the 2015 season. After your participation in all of the above, you’ll never want to leave. So, here is the full calendar of events to get you going for the warmer temperatures!

Fort Ticonderoga is now accepting applications from teachers to participate in the 2015 Fort Ticonderoga Teacher Institute June 28 – July 3, 2015. The focus of this year’s institute is “The French & Indian War: Ticonderoga at the Center of a Global Conflict” and will accommodate 12 teachers for a week-long exploration of the pivotal role that Ticonderoga and the Champlain-Hudson corridor played in the global contest for empire. Applications are due April 15. Successful applicants will be notified by April 25 and will have until May 1, 2015 to accept or decline the offer.

“The Fort Ticonderoga Teacher Institute is a great addition to our annual programs for educators,” said Beth Hill, President and CEO of Fort Ticonderoga. “This important program builds on the success of our first teacher institute in 2013 and our on-going experience with the National Endowment for the Humanities teacher workshops we’ve hosted. Fort Ticonderoga has become a nationally recognized leader in teacher education.”

“Fort Ticonderoga is thrilled to offer this unique opportunity for a small group of teachers to spend a week digging into the wealth of documents, objects, and material culture related to a specific year at Fort Ticonderoga,” noted Rich Strum, Fort Ticonderoga’s Director of Education and the Institute Director. “Full-time classroom teachers and school librarians in public, charter, independent, and religiously-affiliated schools are eligible to apply.”

“Our growing partnership with the Castleton State College in Vermont gives participating teachers the opportunity to earn three graduate credits upon completion of the designated project,” said Strum. “Fort Ticonderoga offers this week-long experience with limited out-of-pocket costs for teachers.”

Lead Scholar Jon Parmenter, from Cornell University, provides historical context while Fort Ticonderoga staff provides participants with behind-the-scenes opportunities, practical sessions on integrating documents and artifacts into the classroom, and immersive experiences related to the life of soldiers fighting for King and Country in the Ticonderoga wilderness. Participants are selected through a competitive application process.

Interested teachers can learn more by visiting Fort Ticonderoga’s website at www.fort-ticonderoga.org. Click on the “Education” tab and select “Educators” on the drop-down menu. Additional details and the application form are available on the website. Any questions can be directed toward Rich Strum at rstrum@fort-ticonderoga.org or (518) 585-6370.

Fort Ticonderoga will host the Seventh Annual Colonial America Conference for Educators on Friday, May 15, 2015, in the Deborah Clarke Mars Education Center. This day-long conference, while intended for educators, is open to anyone with an interest in helping connect students with history. The conference focuses on the period 1609-1783 and features presentations by classroom teachers, museum educators, and archivists.

The conference precedes Fort Ticonderoga’s Twentieth Annual War College of the Seven Years’ War, a weekend-long seminar focused on the French & Indian War (1754-1763). Educators attending both the Conference and the War College receive a discount on conference registration and are eligible to earn one graduate credit through Castleton State College in Vermont.

Presentations at this year’s conference include:

“War Comes to the Convent: The Ursulines & the Siege of Quebec” led by Kathleen Baker from the Massachusetts Historical Society.

“The American Revolution through British Eyes Part II” led by Tim Potts from Robert J. Kaiser Middle School in Monticello, New York.

“Things Left Behind: Using Wills and Estate Inventories to Teach the Inquiry Process” led by Julie Daniels from the New York State Archives and Jessica Maul from the New York State Archives Partnership Trust.

“Viewpoints on the Capture of Fort Ticonderoga” led by Judd Kramarcik from the Islip School District in Islip, New York.

“Using Art, Primary Source and Children’s Literature to Explore American Revolution” led by Tod Guilford from Bluff Elementary School in Claremont, New Hampshire.

“We Hold These Truths to be Self-Evident” led by Wendy Bergeron from Winnacunnet High School in Hampton, New Hampshire.

“The End of an Atlantic Life: The Death of Sir William Johnson (1774) in Imperial Context” led by Jon Parmenter from Cornell University.

Pre-registration to attend the conference is required. The cost is $40 per person ($35 for educators also attending the War College) and includes a box lunch. Registration forms can be downloaded from Fort Ticonderoga’s website at www.fortticonderoga.org under the “Education” tab by selecting “Educators” on the drop down menu. You can learn about other opportunities for educators at Fort Ticonderoga in 2015 on the same page.

Mackenzie Strum, from Ticonderoga High School, placed first in the Senior Individual Performance category at North Country History Day for her performance “Frances Perkins: The Woman behind the New Deal.”

Eighteen middle and high school students from the North Country won top prizes at North Country History Day on Saturday, March 7th, at Fort Ticonderoga’s Deborah Clarke Mars Education Center. These students will advance to compete at New York State History Day in Cooperstown on April 27th.

“What a great day!” said Rich Strum, Fort Ticonderoga’s Director of Education and North Country Regional Coordinator for New York State History Day. “Not only was it exciting to see student projects, but it was great to see students from throughout the region sharing with each other their common interest in history and what history can teach us about ourselves. Each and every student participant invested a great deal of time and energy in historical research and creating compelling projects reflecting this year’s theme of Leadership and Legacy in History.”

Junior Division (Grades 6-8) North Country Regional winners include:

Aileen Crain and Grace Sayward, from a home school group in Champlain, New York, took first place in the Group Performance category with their performance “The Blackwell Sister.”

Jacob Andre, from Peru Middle School, Peru, New York, took first place in the Individual Exhibit category with his exhibit “Hammurabi: Leader of Babylon, Legacy of Laws.” Francis Kneussle, also from Peru Middle School, Peru, New York, took second place in the category with his exhibit “Alexander the Great.”

Lorelei Leerkes, Zoe Eggleston, Kiyanna Stockwell, and Molly Price, from St. Mary’s School, Ticonderoga, New York, took first place in the Group Exhibit category with their exhibit “Mary Walker, M.D.” Talandra Hurlburt and Natalie O’Neil, also from St. Mary’s School, Ticonderoga, New York, took second place in the category with their exhibit “The W.A.S.P.s.”

Senior Division (Grades 9-12) North Country Regional winners include:

Matthew Caito, from a home school group in Champlain, New York, took first place in the Historical Paper category with his paper “The Leadership and Legacy of Woodrow Wilson.” Ray Bryant, from Moriah Central School, Port Henry, New York, took second place in the category with his paper “Erwin Rommel.”

Mackenzie Strum, from Ticonderoga High School, Ticonderoga, New York, took first place in the Individual Performance category with her performance “Frances Perkins: The Woman Behind the New Deal.”

Liam Sayward and Benjamin Caito, from a home school group in Champlain, New York, took first place in the Group Performance category with their performance “Nikola Tesla, His Leadership and Legacy.”

Ethan Depo and Darcy Smith, from Peru High School, Peru, New York, took first place in the Group Exhibit category with their exhibit “Henry Ford: Assembling the Future.”

Nicholas Manfred, from Moriah Central School, Port Henry, New York, too first place in the Individual Website category with his website “Dave Brubeck: Writing for a Cause, Aspiring for a Better World.”

Participating schools included Moriah Central School, Peru High School, Peru Middle School, St. Mary’s School of Ticonderoga, and Ticonderoga High School, as well as home school students from the Champlain, New York area.

National History Day is the nation’s leading program for history education in schools. The program annually engages 2 million people in 48 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam. Students research history topics of their choice related to an annual theme and create exhibits, documentaries, performances, research papers, and website designs. They may enter in competition at the regional, state, and national level. Participants include students in grades 6-8 in the Junior Division and grades 9-12 in the Senior Division. National History Day also provides educational services to students and teachers, including a summer internship program, curricular materials, internet resources, and annual teacher workshops and training institutes. Fort Ticonderoga hosts teacher workshops about History Day each fall in the North Country and Regional Coordinator Rich Strum is available to meet with teachers at their schools to introduce the program. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal in 2011, “Students who participate in National History Day—a year-long program that gets students in grades 6-12 doing historical research—consistently outperform their peers on state standardized tests, not only in social studies but in science and math as well.”

Teachers and students from Clinton, Essex, Franklin, and Warren counties interested in participating in North Country History Day during the 2015-16 school year should contact Rich Strum, North Country Regional Coordinator for New York State History Day, at rstrum@fort-ticonderoga.org or at (518) 585-6370.

It’s hard to imagine that this white wintry landscape will soon be rejuvenated with vibrant color. Spring is around the corner, and before we know it, it’ll be time to put our hands and knees in the dirt to get our backyards back in planting shape. Whether you are an experienced gardener or just getting started, Fort Ticonderoga’s Fourth Annual Garden and Landscape Symposium (April 18th) is here to assist. We’ll have four speakers, all with specific expertise related to gardening in northern climates. Speakers and sessions include:

In the meantime, as we patiently wait for the layers of snow and ice to melt away so we can trade in our hot chocolate for lemonade, let’s continue to reflect on our gardens from the indoors. Do you consider yourself a green thumb connoisseur? Yea or nay, some fun facts and trivia will help pass time until temps get into the double positive digits.

Tomato on Trial!

I’m sure this isn’t news, but it’s been long debated as to whether a tomato should be considered a fruit or a vegetable. This debate primarily originates from two sides, the botanist and the chef. Botanically speaking, a fruit is a seed-bearing structure that develops from the ovary of a flowering plant to serve as a dispersing agent. Vegetables, on the other hand, are all other plant parts, such as roots, leaves, and stems. By those standards, seedy outgrowths such as apples, squash, and, yes, tomatoes are all fruits. Roots such as beets, potatoes and turnips, leaves such as spinach, kale and lettuce, and stems such as celery and broccoli are all vegetables.

The outlook is quite different in culinary terms, however. A lot of foods that are (botanically speaking) fruits, but which are savory rather than sweet, are typically considered vegetables by chefs. Regardless, all fruits and vegetables listed above can be found throughout Fort Ticonderoga’s Gardens and eaten at America’s Fort Café!

What seems like a light-hearted dispute has actually generated quite the fever pitch. In 1893, the tomato found its way into the United States Supreme Court case Nix v. Hedden. The court ruled unanimously that a tomato is correctly identified as, and thus taxed as, a vegetable, for the purposes of the Tariff of 1883 on imported produce. They acknowledged that a tomato is a botanical fruit, but went with the culinary definition of fruits and vegetables, which also happened to coincide with the higher taxes on imported vegetables that they could then apply to the tomato.

Click photo to find your Plant Hardiness Zone.

Now for some trivia!

Which plants are most likely to thrive in your zone? If you’re around Ticonderoga, your plant hardiness zone is 5a.

Monarch caterpillars’ only source of food is Asclepias (milkweed). What kind of native milkweed plants flourish in your area?

When is the ideal time to divide the perennials that are growing in your garden?

Which perennials are invasive in your area, and most likely to take over in your garden?

From the bark of which tree did the first type of aspirin, pain killer, and fever reducer come from?

Beth L Hill, President and CEO of the Fort Ticonderoga Association, has been named the 2015 Distinguished Patriot by the Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York. The award was presented to Hill for her years of service in the historical profession and her strong leadership at Fort Ticonderoga where she has led the organization’s turn-around and transformed the historic site and museum into a vibrant and thriving cultural destination and learning campus. The 2015 Distinguished Patriot Award was presented at the Annual George Washington Birthday Ball held at the Union League Club in New York City on February 20, 2015. The George Washington Birthday Ball was held to benefit Fraunces Tavern® Museum located in New York.

Beth Hill standing beside the President of the Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York, Ambrose Richardson.

“The Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York honored as its Distinguished Patriot, Beth L. Hill, the President and CEO of the Fort Ticonderoga Association, because of her extraordinary success in preserving and presenting the incredibly rich historical heritage of New York and America,” said Ambrose Madison Richardson, President of the Society.

“I’m extremely honored and deeply touched to receive this prestigious award from the Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York,” said Hill. “It’s an incredible gift to be able to serve the history and museum profession. It’s particularly humbling to lead Fort Ticonderoga, one of America’s most significant historic sites, and find new and relevant ways to connect the past to present and future generations. Understanding our nation’s history gives us enhanced capacity for informed citizenship. The torch has been given to us today to utilize our story – our own laboratory of human experience – as a barometer for what is important, to persevere in the face of challenge, and find hope and inspiration from those that have gone before us.”

Past recipients of the Distinguished Patriot Award include Senator Barry Goldwater, General William C. Westmoreland, Colonel Edwin E. Aldrin, Normand Vincent Peale, D.D, Senator James Buckley, Hon. Jean Kirkpatrick, and Senator Robert Dole. The award is given for outstanding academic or service performance.

About the Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York: Founded in 1884, the Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York, a society of descendents of those who fought in the American Revolutionary War or otherwise placed themselves at risk for the Patriot cause, is devoted to educating the public and preserving the memory of the American Revolutionary War.

About Fraunces Tavern® Museum: Fraunces Tavern Museum, opened in 1907 by the Sons of the Revolution of New York, is the only New York City museum that exclusively focuses on the American Revolution. The Museum is a 5 building complex containing nine galleries, including the famous Long Room where George Washington bade farewell to the officers of the Continental Army on December 4, 1783. The Museum houses over 3,000 Colonial America, Revolutionary War, and Early Republic artifacts, including a lock of George Washington’s hair. The Museum was landmarked in 1965, marked as a historic district in 1978, and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.

Fort Ticonderoga launches its third “Fort Fever Series” with a special presentation by Senior Director of Interpretation, Stuart Lilie, who will examine the role of horses in 18th-century military campaigns and on the grounds of Ticonderoga. Lilie will help to piece together the evidence for the lives and labors of horses and logistics involved in their maintenance. The program takes place on Sunday, March 15 at 2 pm in the Deborah Clarke Mars Education Center at Fort Ticonderoga. The cost for the program is $10 per person and will be collected at the door; free for Members of Fort Ticonderoga.

A member of the Fort Ticonderoga Museum staff since 2011, Stuart Lilie is the Senior Director of Interpretation. He has incorporated his wealth of expertise in 18th-century equestrian studies into numerous areas of Fort Ticonderoga’s museum programs, special events, and workshops. Lilie is a graduate of the College of William & Mary and has worked at numerous historic sites, including Colonial Williamsburg. He is considered a foremost authority in 18th-century saddlery and equine history.

“While Ticonderoga’s strategic location on Lake Champlain made water transport paramount, horses and horsepower played fascinating roles in the events here,” noted Stuart Lilie. “Horses at Ticonderoga were a crucial asset to military function, from the French horses hauling logs while building Fort Carillon to the teams of horses hired by Henry Knox to move the Guns of Ticonderoga to Boston.”

The “Horsepower at Ticonderoga” program will examine specific mounted troops related to Fort Ticonderoga history, including Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold’s 1775 capture of the Fort. It will also provide an overview of the role of mounted soldiers in keeping long lines of communications with the Continental Congress and General Washington, and their participation in the military actions of 1777.

The “Fort Fever Series” is just one of several programs taking place at Fort Ticonderoga this winter. Clothing and Accoutrement Workshops are offered one weekend a month January – April, and the Fourth Annual Garden & Landscape Symposium will be held on April 18th.